As some of you may know my wife has a part time job and has the car then. So I do not venture out then. But of late my knees which have Rheumatoid Arthritis are giving me some serious gip. They have been giving way on steps and the stairs and are becoming even more painful at night. I am finding changing gear or slowly releasing the clutch is becoming unbearable. I love driving as it something I can do outside the house and still keep warm and dry and feel independent.

I am hoping this is just a weather thing or is it my lung/heart conditions supplying less O2 to the joints? My other arthritic areas are more tender too.

My knee joints were damaged when I was 11 years old while cycling I slid on the stones in a newly tar and stones resurface. but got some stones lodged in my knee joint which the A&E removed and then disabled my Left Leg for 6 weeks. After this time I was told by the specialist to exercise the leg as much as I can to get it back to normal. So on my bike I get! I was a boy with no fear or memory it seems as I did exactly the same thing on another road that had just been resurfaced but this time to my right knee joint. So once more I was disabled on the right leg for 6 weeks.

I was very much a sport participant when I was not having chest problems and working a physical job and took up Martial Arts. But had times I could barley walk with the knee pain and put it down to overdoing it. My GP put me on to specialist who took xrays and showed me the grooves I have in my joints as a result of the bike incidents! I was in my 30's then, I did do an intensive physio course which helped, my quads pulled my knee cap back more. However the specialist did say that in time this will become unbearable and until then they do not want to do anything as my only option would be replacement knee joints! Which he said could be when I am about 70? I was a lot fitter then and as a fifty-nine and three quarter year old has it been bought forward? I know joint replacement techniques have improved over years but his comments back in the day were "It may be 6 months retaining to walk again", haunts me.

Hi my eldest daughter had a knee replacement 6months ago age 55 she had an epidural And has never looked back You won't be considered unless you keep complaining of the pain because they have no other way of knowing how bad it is

A couple of months. But she didn't push herself with the physio. So I think it could be sooner

Hope you get what you need so you have your independence I have to have help as I have needed a wheelchair outdoors. For the past 9yrs and I just wish I wasn't such a burden on my youngest daughter who is not well herself ,her attitude is I looked after her now it's her turn too look after me

Ah, I do know a very good friend had a knee replacement done last October. It went fantastically well - she was only in hospital for three days and was driving within two weeks. She had total mobility back with four weeks and went on holiday on a cruise last month. She had one replaced a few years ago and thought this operation was much better, much quicker to recover from and less painful. Lots of luck xxx

My heart goes out to you with your R.A. , I looked after my Dad for a few years before he died aged 70...he was 50 and working in Zambia when he was bitten by some insect, it was after that he was completely laid out with the pain as the R.A. attacked his whole body, on his return to this country, they experimented on him with all sorts of drugs, and gold injections ( please don't go this route if possible ) for years........I remember him telling me it can ' run its course in 20 years ' They cut his toes and sewed them back straight and he went night clubbin' in Dublin with my cousin and did his Hot Chocolate shuffle! But when he was stuck in bed and could only look wistfully out of the window at his Ford Granada ( total comfort Matt! ) it really was heartbreaking.

I'm no help...don't know anyone who has had their knees done...plenty of hips though and that op seems to have improved in leaps and bounds over the past few years...it's probably the same for knees...